Hurricane Irma's latest path has shifted west and Central Floridians need to accelerate their preparations.
- FULL COVERAGE: Storm Season 2017: Supply checklist, county-by-county resources
- CLOSINGS: Schools monitoring Irma | Travel closures
- SANDBAG LOCATIONS: Get the latest on where to find sandbags
- EVACUATION MAPS: County-by-county maps and resources
- SEE BELOW: Use News 13's interactive storm tracker ▼
Gov. Scott has ordered all public K-12 schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices to begin preparing for the storm. SEE THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.
“Today, I am directing the closure of all public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices for their normal activities effective Friday through Monday, to ensure we have every space available for sheltering and staging. Floridians are facing a life-threatening storm in Hurricane Irma, and every family must prepare to evacuate. Our state’s public schools serve a vital role in our communities as shelters for displaced residents and staging areas for hurricane recovery efforts. Closing public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices will provide local and state emergency officials the flexibility necessary to support shelter and emergency response efforts.”
As of 11 p.m., Hurricane Irma pummeled the Turks and Caicos, and is now hitting the southeastern Bahamas.
The maximum sustained winds have dropped a bit, down to 165 mph. But the storm is now projected to go right up the spine of Florida.
Irma is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph. The direction is expected to continue over the next couple of days with a decrease in forward speed.
Once Irma moves past the southeastern Bahamas, the core of the storm will then move between the north coast of Cuba and the Bahamas over the next day or two.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 75 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles.
A storm surge warninghas been issued for the Florida peninsula, from Jupiter Inlet southward and around the peninsula to Bonita Beach, including the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee and Florida Bay. The area could see storm surge in the area of 5 to 10 feet.
Hurricane wind conditions are possible within the watch area in Florida by Sunday, with tropical storm conditions possible by late Saturday.
A hurricane warning is now in effect for Jupiter Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Bonita Beach as well as for the Florida Keys
A hurricane watch is now in effect for the east coast of Florida north of Jupiter Inlet to Sebastian Inlet and for the west coast of Florida north of Bonita Beach to Anna Maria Island.
A storm surge warning has been issued from Jupiter Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Bonita Beach as well as for the Florida Keys.
A storm surge watch has also been issued for the east coast of Florida north of Jupiter Inlet to Sebastian Inlet and for the west coast of Florida north of Bonita Beach to Venice
Latest updates
10:50 p.m.
From the Associated Press:
The U.S. Consulate General in Curaçao says it believes about 6,000 Americans are stranded on St. Martin after Hurricane Irma leveled the Caribbean island.
The consulate is collecting the names and locations of the stranded and says it is working with the U.S. and other governments to try to figure out how to get the Americans off the island either by air or boat.
Frantic Americans were calling relatives in the U.S. to try to get them off the island, especially because Hurricane Jose threatened a second blow to the tourist Mecca.
The island is split between French and Dutch control. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and 50 injured on the French side of the island. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage.
9:51 p.m.
Brevard emergency leaders called for mandatory evacuations of the barrier islands -- meaning beachside residents are supposed to leave before Irma hits.
There are an estimated 100,000 people living beachside and in the Merritt Island area.
Now the Brevard EOC is calling for them to leave starting at 3 p.m. Friday.
Before John Theofiledes and his wife and daughter evacuate Indialantic, he spent time Thursday shoring up his father-in-law's Satellite Beach home.
"Peace of mind for him, he's worried," Theofiledes said.
Once he wraps up work here, he's headed home to pack up his family and headed inland, while his wife's parents on their way to Orlando.
A big reminder -- the causeways leading to and from beach-side here in Brevard do NOT close prior to storms like this.
7 p.m.
University of Florida has canceled its football game against Northern Colorado in Gainesville Saturday because of Hurricane Irma.
"We have been in constant communication this week with University and government officials," said Florida Athletics Director Scott Stricklin. "As the Hurricane's track has approached the state of Florida, it's become obvious that playing a football game is not the right thing to do. The focus of our state and region needs to be on evacuations and relief efforts. There is a tremendous amount of stress currently on the roads of this state, and the availability of gas, water and other supplies are at critical levels. Playing a college football game Saturday would only add to that stress.
"Gainesville is also close to some of Florida's heaviest traffic points this week, specifically Interstate 75, which is a key statewide evacuation route."
Since the schools do not have a common open date, the game will not be rescheduled.
If you had tickets to the game, UF will send you information on refunds.
6:35 p.m.
Attorney General Pam Bondi says she believes her office has gotten some 4,000 complaints about price gouging in Florida. She's not sure if it's because the situation is worse this time around, or because more people are aware of how to report price gouging.
If you see a price gouging situation, take a picture and head to MyFloridaLegal.com to report it. While no one can be arrested, Bondi says she can levy civil fines, not to mention shame them live on TV.
Here's some of the highlights from Bondi's latest update.
Attorney General Pam Bondi updates on price gouging
3 p.m.
In an announcement on Thursday afternoon, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs stressed that the call for a state of local emergency is proactive and not in response to any new storm-related information.
But doing so allows Orange County to be able to access emergency resources needed for residents, Jacobs explained, who is also the county's director of emergency management.
She stated in a press release that the county still has 45,000 pre-filled sandbags and those distribution locations can be found here.
Officials with Seminole County said in a press conference on Thursday afternoon that they have been preparing for Hurricane Irma since last weekend and that the county's emergency operation center is partially activated.
They also said that there is a citizen information hotline at 407-665-0000 and people can find additional information at PrepareSeminole.org.
Seminole County School District Superintendent Dr. Walt R. Griffin said that the following schools will be shelters and be available on Saturday:
- Lyman High School
- Lawton Chiles Middle School
- Bentley Elementary School
- Highlands Elementary School
- Midway Elementary School
- Lake Mary Elementary School
- Crystal Lake Elementary School is ready to go if needed
People who are trying to evacuate before Hurricane Irma hits will get the fuel they need, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at a noon press conference on Thursday.
During the briefing, the governor said that he spoke with fuel suppliers about their concerns with getting gas delivered to the state. Their issues were: Fuel availability from the ports, federal rules and regulations and getting the fuel to gas stations.
Scott said he spoke with the Environmental Protection Agency, FEMA, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation and the White House for help in dealing with those issues, saying that he asked with the governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama to rescind weight and driver restrictions, which they agreed to the request so trucks can easily deliver fuel into Florida.
The EPA approved an emergency-fuel waiver request to allow more fuel to be deliver more quickly into the state, Scott mentioned, saying that all ports are currently open.
The governor also asked gas stations to stay open as long as possible in evacuation areas and he assured them that law enforcement will escort employees to get out safely when the time comes.
"We need your gas stations to stay open as long as possible," he pleaded.
The governor urged people not to fill up their vehicles if they do not need to.
He also warned people in evacuation areas to get out as soon as they can and provided a phone number for those who need help in getting out: 1-800-342-3557
"We will get you out, but you have to call now if you are in an evacuation zone. We cannot save you if the storm starts," he said.
In an earlier press conference on Thursday morning, Scott said that 3,000 more National Guard members have been activated to help with the evacuations as nearly 31,000 people have been ordered to leave the Florida Keys at 6 a.m. Thursday.
"We can't save you after the storm starts," Scott said, who advised that those who are leaving the Keys can seek shelter at Florida International University.
The governor also stated that more evacuations are expected. In fact, sections of Brevard County are being evacuated starting at 3 p.m., Friday. The county stated the evacuation zones include the barrier islands, Merritt Island and some mainland low-lying areas along the Indian River Lagoon.
The county also suggested that people who live in mobile or manufactured homes or in flood-prone areas are also vulnerable and should leave, whether on the mainland or the barrier islands.
Scott also said that 6,800 volunteers have signed up to help with Irma, but that 17,000 are still needed. People who want to volunteer can call 1-800-FL-HELP1.
People in Central Florida have been flocking to gas stations as they try to head out of town to ride out the storm. People are fueling up their vehicles at The Turkey Lake Service Plaza toll rest stop in Orange County, as a line of cars starts right off the turnpike with people waiting for hours to get gas.
One reason why this location could be so crowded is because some folks are leaving the state to avoid the Hurricane Irma that could possibly hit.
The Florida Highway Patrol sent out this tweet that no gas cans will be allowed to be filled at any service plaza on the turnpike.
Starting a 6 a.m. on Thursday, FHP also says cars that are left on the side of the road on the turnpike will be towed.
Some stations like the Shell on Michigan Street in Orlando, ran out of gas on Wednesday.
At several WaWa stations, people are also seeing long lines for pumps and filling up extra gas cans.
The WaWa on Curry Ford and Goldenrod says it expects to get more gas Thursday, but most stations are concerned because the demand for fuel will increase throughout the week.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Scott warned people that Hurricane Irma is a bigger storm than Hurricane Andrew, which struck the state in 1992.
"This storm is bigger, faster and stronger than Hurricane Andrew," Scott said during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Scott warned Floridians that everyone should take the storm seriously and people should not wait the storm out.
Meanwhile, the Florida Attorney General's office is going after anyone taking advantage of storm preparations by hiking prices — whether they have brick and mortar stores, or on online.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had Amazon's Legal Dept. "on speed dial" regarding people selling water and other storm supplies at inflated prices, or tacking on exorbitant fees for shipping.
"What you’ve got are these third party vendors who are trying to trick people and say water is at somewhat of a reasonable rate, yet charging a $100 shipping fee," Bondi said. "That’s sickening, that’s disgusting, it’s unacceptable, and we’re not going to have it."
Amazon told Bondi it is manually scrubbing these products from the site as they find them, and have already suspended 12 sellers.
If you see anyone price gouging online or at a store, go to MyFloridaLegal.com, or call 1-866-966-7226.
Because of Hurricane Irma, the Orlando International Airport originally posted that it will stop all commercial flights at 5 pm., Saturday, Sept. 9, but later Thursday morning airport officials told News 13 they will be holding a meeting later in the day to see if they may suspend flights or not.
With sustained winds are sitting at 185 mph, Hurricane Irma caused significant damage in Puerto Rico. More than 600,000 people there are without power from the wind ripping down trees and lights posts as the storm left at least 10 people dead.
Fearsome Hurricane Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving at least 10 dead and thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track Thursday that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida.
The most potent Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever, Irma weakened only slightly Thursday morning and remained a powerful Category 5 storm with winds of 180 mph (285 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
The storm was increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida early Sunday, prompting the governor to declare an emergency and officials to impose mandatory evacuation orders for parts of the Miami metro area and the Florida Keys. Forecasters said it could punish the entire Atlantic coast of Florida and rage on into Georgia and South Carolina.
“This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago,” said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, alluding to the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.
French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told France Info radio that eight had died and 23 injured in the country’s Caribbean island territories, and he said the toll on Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams have yet to finish their inspection of the islands.
2:44 p.m. Thursday
A hurricane watch is now in effect for South Florida, from Jupiter Inlet southward and around the peninsula to Bonita Beach, including the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee, and Florida Bay.
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News 13's Interactive Storm Tracker
The Associated Press contributed to this story.